What a Disgrace
31-03-11
Ah Rosalind Shaw – we remember her. She was an early casualty of the disgraceful GSCC and their inept, innately unfair procedures and utter lack of compassion. In other words utter fucking Dorks.
Wilt reported on this case some time ago. See here: http://regulatorwatch.co.uk/2010/03/more-fireworks/
And here: http://regulatorwatch.co.uk/2009/10/dorks-with-bells-on/
This was 2009 – Rosalind was at/beyond retirement age but the GSCC decided, in its perverse wisdom, to remove her name from the Register of Social Workers. Wilt cannot say whether Rosalind perhaps should have bowed out sooner due to her age, more modern approaches to the work, and the undeniable effects of the profession upon any social worker, but it was clear that the woman was poorly treated. In fact undeniably badly treated and shat upon from a great height. What a way to end a long career – go you awful woman, irrespective of your long years of service and rot in hell, was the effect of the GSCC despatch.
Well, the GSCC had not then (in fact they never have) got to grips with a very basic concept called justice, or even human rights or indeed common sense, compassion or that useful tool called intellectual ability.
The Care Standards Tribunal (see above links) ordered a rehearing of Rosalind’s case; see here the recent Community Care article: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2011/03/30/116578/struck-off-social-worker-let-back-on-to-register.htm not least because she was in the days/weeks/months in the run up to her original GSCC hearing (2009) almost fully occupied in the care of her dying parent, then suffered the inevitable bereavement and then all the chores thereafter in the respectful “sending off” of the loved one.
Obviously the GSCC thought that “sending off” involved some kind of referee Red Card – they certainly gave Rosalind the Red Card for failing (despite her request to defer the case) in what must in the history of GSCC decisions been the most bizarre.
What exactly was this unemployed (of retirement age) social worker who had suffered a close family bereavement going to do to create such harm to the unsuspecting public? God knows, but the GSCC decided to add insult to injury by demonising her as utterly incompetent – to what end exactly? Of all the cases (and they number in the dozens) where the GSCC have been shown to be utterly incompetent, the case of Rosalind Shaw takes the biscuit. The GSCC were quite frankly cruel, let alone the technical facts of being incompetent and unfair. They relished in making this woman’s life hell – they enjoyed it, the bastards.
I reiterate, this was 2009 – the Care Standards Tribunal ordered a rehearing. It is now 2011, some two years later (I only state that as the GSCC twats do not understand arithmetic) and yes we have a result. The GSCC decided in their ultimate wisdom to replace the removal from the Register with a one year admonishment. Wilt needs to allow this to sink in – a one year admonishment!
What the fuck is wrong with these people – are they total twats and idiots? Answers please on a postcard.
Look…. Rosalind is a nice old lady (sorry Rosalind for the ‘old’ reference) and is rather harmless – she never (even the GSCC agree) had any proper supervision or support, and yes she may have not been at her best; was it really necessary to admonish her after two years post the claimed failings? All we now need is a further complaint to the Care Standards Tribunal, and Rosalind would have a perfectly reasonable case.
What is utterly laudable out of this very sad case matter is that the GSCC (from the Community Care article) stated:
A spokesperson for the GSCC said: “In this and all cases we take the decisions of the First-tier Tribunal seriously, learn from them and use the recommendations to improve our processes.
“We firmly believe that the engagement of the registrant in the conduct process is important for ensuring the fairest outcomes, and it is something that we try to encourage.”
Now that is taking the piss – the GSCC never learn. More to the point, as illustrated in this case, they do not give a fuck either.
This is why Regulator Watch exists – the cool and dispassionate reporting of Community Care, the obvious duplicity, incompetence and facile approach of the GSCC requires a Regulator of the Regulator.
Community Care needs to get a grip and start being passionate – they fail in their rather grey and anaemic coverage of core social care issues; be acerbic and challenging. You are either with social workers, especially now, or you aint. It is that simple.
Wilt















